[Edited_by_A._Ciancio,_C.N.R.,_Bari,_Italy_and_K.(Bookos.org)

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M.S.T. ABBAS
rhinoceros but it has been proved that the weevil attacks healthy and uninfested
palms (personal observations). To oviposit, the female uses the rostrum to bore
into the tissues, mainly under the leaf base, to form a hole in which the eggs are
laid, then the hole is cemented to protect them from natural enemies.
Figure 1. Life cycle of the Red Palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.
3.2.2. Feeding
RPWs feeding takes place on the soft portions of the palm. In the field, the
weevils select a suitable site with the help of their antennae and thrust in their
long rostrum at that spot, to feed on the juice. The feeding scars are quite
superficial and can be readily differentiated from the oviposition holes which are
deeper (Nirula, 1956). In the laboratory, when weevils feed on pieces of sugarcane
or palms it was noticed that they grind such blocks by their mouth parts,
sucking the juice and discarding the remains as ground material (personal
observations).